new jersey governor chris christie called it "de stating."devastating." beyond anything he thought he'd see. this is as the presidential campaign begin the final week. rick leventhal is on point pleasant beach. good evening, rick. >> reporter: this storm left 8.2 million homes in the dark tonight. including more than 2 million in new jersey and this entire community of point pleasant beach. the destruction here, up and down the new jersey coastline is de stating. the recovery is only just beginning. >> the level of devastation at the jersey shore is unthinkable. >> new jersey's normally unflappable governor chris christie stunned by the devastation in his state. the familiar atlantic city boardwalk in shambles. entire neighborhood washed over, as search and rescue crews scoop up stranded residents by the boatload. crews working around the clock to clear out debris field 7 feet high in some places. >> i anticipated last night given the nature of the wind and the rain, would be pretty baddism didn't expect it to be that bad. it didn't expect we'd see homes